inbusiness Northamptonshire April May 21

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inbusiness @NorthantsCoC

www.northants-chamber.co.uk

THE VOICE OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE BUSINESS

APRIL/MAY 2021

GOOD IN A CRISIS LOGISTICS FIRM KEEPS THE COUNTRY MOVING NEWS: MILESTONE FOR COLLEGE SPOTLIGHT: COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING MEMBER ZONE: NEW MEMBERS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE CHAMBER

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2 inbusiness FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021

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INBUSINESS

CONTENTS inbusiness

APRIL/MAY 2021

17 BUSINESS REPORT

10

18

5

New website for digital print specialist

6

Business centre to open new offices

8

Major rebrand for pallet network

10

Construction firm offers training

11

Recycling firm invests in new silos

12

Policy Matters: Results from the latest QES

15

Leasing broker lends support to hospice

16

Chamber members offered career advice

17

Big-hearted gesture from charity

18

Milestone for Moulton College

GOING GLOBAL 19

Nappy company helps tackle the plastic problem

ISSUE SPOTLIGHT 21

COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING Agency delivers results-based service

24

HOTELS, CONFERENCES & EVENTS Events agency goes virtual

TALKING BUSINESS 26

Crisis Logistics managing director Edward Grant-Salmon

TRAINING & EVENTS

26

28

The latest comprehensive list of Chamber training courses and events

MEMBER ZONE

31

35

31

The Lewis Foundation offers hope

32

Law firm invests in its post-Covid recovery

34

Member Profile: Nishi Patel, N-Accounting

35

PraqmatiQ Solutions appoints commercial director

37

Next Generation, plus member benefits

38

The Chamber welcomes new members

The June/July 21 issue of inbusiness will include features on: Technology & Innovation; Education & Training and Creative Industries The deadline for editorial submissions is: 5 April

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INBUSINESS

inbusiness

THE VOICE OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE BUSINESS

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T: 01604 490490 NORTHAMPTONSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Waterside House, 8 Waterside Way, Northampton NN4 7XD Editorial process managed by Ballyhoo PR EDITOR: Catherine Bontoft EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Katie Macdonald NEWS AND ARTICLES SHOULD BE SENT TO: inbusiness@northants-chamber.co.uk

PUBLISHED BY: Kemps Publishing Ltd Unit 8, The Courtyard, 707 Warwick Road, Solihull B91 3DA T: 0121 765 4144 W: www.kempspublishing.co.uk MANAGING EDITOR: Laura Blake DESIGNER: Lloyd Hollingworth ADVERTISING T: 0121 765 4144 E: jon.jones@kempspublishing.co.uk PRINTERS: Stephens & George Print Group FRONT COVER: Crisis Logistics See pages 26-27 COVER PHOTO: Jane Russell Photography ABOUT THIS MAGAZINE: inbusiness is a bi-monthly publication and digital magazine distributed to 6,000 Chamber members and key businesses in Northamptonshire.

The publication focuses on news and information about local companies and the initiatives and advice available to increase the prosperity of county firms. Northamptonshire Chamber welcomes newsworthy articles of business interest, giving preference to Chamber members. As editorial space is limited, inclusion cannot be guaranteed and the editor may amend or reject articles submitted.

FOLLOW NORTHAMPTONSHIRE CHAMBER AT:

www.facebook.com/northamptonshire.chamber @NorthantsCoC www.linkedin.com/company/northamptonshirechamber-of-commerce

TWO NEW MEMBERSHIP PACKAGES ON OFFER I feel I speak on behalf of all members when I say we welcome the Prime Minister’s Roadmap to easing restrictions forced by Covid-19, however we must remain cautious and still remember this has been an incredibly challenging time for businesses throughout our region, with some sectors being harder hit than others.

It has also been a huge challenge for the Government to get the balance right between the health of the economy and the health of the nation. Therefore, those in business will welcome the sentiment that this should be the final lockdown and will support the cautious reopening of the economy based on the data at the time.

I’m therefore delighted to announce Northamptonshire Chamber has created two new membership types to aid businesses affected by Covid-19 and the Exiting of the EU. Our new Start-Up Membership package is aimed at businesses that have been trading for 12 months or less, as a cost-effective route to becoming full Chamber members.

This exciting new membership allows start-up businesses to tap into the wide range of Chamber profile raising benefits, as well as the opportunity to attend the diverse range of Chamber networking events, forums and seminars.

The newly launched International Trade Membership option has been designed for members with international trading needs, allowing members access to all standard Chamber membership benefits alongside enhanced support for international trading.

This specifically tailored package offers exclusive access to vital forums and international trade seminars in addition to dedicated international trade advice and support lines. Every international trade member will receive support to help maximise their membership in line with any international trade requirements, as well as monthly news updates and relevant, timely content.

We’re also delighted to have successfully launched our new network - Women With Vision (WWV) - with almost 100 delegates on International Women’s Day. We’d like to thank everyone who made this event such a success and urge you to keep an eye out for WWV event news and communications.

Finally, please remember our dedicated team is always on hand to assist you with maximising your member benefits and supporting you in all your business needs.

Best wishes, Louise Wall Interim CEO, Northamptonshire Chamber

www.youtube.com/NorthantsChamber You can also follow our International Trade Team on Twitter: @NhntChambExport For further information on Northamptonshire Chamber call 01604 490490 or visit www.northants-chamber.co.uk inbusiness is produced on behalf of Northamptonshire Chamber by Kemps Publishing Ltd and is distributed without charge to all Chamber members and other leading businesses in Northamptonshire. The Chamber and the publisher are committed to achieving the highest quality standards. However, views expressed in the magazine are independent and while every care has been taken to ensure that the information it contains is accurate, neither Northamptonshire Chamber nor the publisher can accept any responsibility for any omission or inaccuracies that might arise.

PRIVACY NOTICE: Kemps Publishing Ltd process personal information for certain legitimate interest purposes, which includes the following: • To provide postal copies of this publication to Chamber members and Kemps' customers; and • To offer marketing and promotional opportunities within this publication to Chamber members and prospects.

Whenever we process data for these purposes, we always ensure we treat your Personal Data rights in high regard. If you wish to, you can visit www.kempspublishing.co.uk to view our full Privacy Notice and to learn more about our legitimate interests and your rights in this regard.

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CHAMBER BUSINESS PARTNERS

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BUSINESS REPORT

BUSINESS REPORT

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE CHAMBER keeps its members up to date with all the latest business news. Whether it’s through the pages of this magazine, via our website or by regular email updates, we will always endeavour to keep you in the picture and informed

NEW WEBSITE FOR TWENTY10 Like many businesses some of its clients had An award-winning team of digital print to temporarily freeze their accounts when solutions specialists has launched its new coronavirus hit but the firm is now seeing them website, picked up major new contracts and return and has picked up 14 new customers. celebrated its 10th anniversary during the Paul added: “We do a lot of work with toughest trading period in living memory. businesses that are involved Twenty10 Digital’s new website showcases the in events and exhibitions so work it has done for internationally acclaimed some of them had to put organisations such as Ascot Racecourse and The things on hold with us when National Gallery and offers clients easy ways to coronavirus hit but during get quotes and place and track orders. the past year we’ve begun Managing director Paul Riley said: “Our working in new sectors, such website is our shop window and we’d wanted to as retail, which has been relaunch it for a while to better showcase our exciting. work. We have relationships with major organisations and it’s good to show prospective customers examples of the brilliant work that we are involved in.

“Clients can create accounts on our ‘WE’RE website and have the option to access live quotes, place and track their orders and THRILLED WITH submit their artwork. They can also review THE LOOK OF their order history which makes reordering products very simple.

OUR NEW “We’re thrilled with the look of our new WEBSITE’ website and how easy it makes things for our customers and have been delighted to receive lots of positive feedback about it.”

“For example, one of our new clients is a large agency in Leicestershire which has lots of major retailers on its books.”

Visit: www.twenty10-digital.com

TOP AWARD FOR LOCAL PRODUCTION At the rescheduled 2020 Olivier Awards ceremony, Royal & Derngate’s Made in Northampton co-production of The Worst Witch scooped the award for Best Family Show.

This is the first time that the Northampton venue has won an Olivier award.

Having first delighted audiences in Northampton as Royal & Derngate’s 2018 Christmas Show, The Worst Witch then toured the UK before enjoying a six-week summer season at

Photographer: Manuel Harlan

The Northampton run of The Worst Witch

the Vaudeville Theatre in London’s West End in 2019. Adapted by Emma Reeves from Jill Murphy’s much-loved books and directed by Theresa Heskins, the show was a Made in Northampton co-production with Kenny Wax Family Entertainment, Novel and Nica Burns.

The winners of this year’s Olivier Awards 2020 with Mastercard were announced in a special programme hosted by Jason Manford and broadcast on ITV and Magic Radio.

Royal & Derngate artistic director James Dacre said: “We are absolutely delighted that this enchanting Made in Northampton production has been honoured with an Olivier Award. Its success is a testament to all the hard work, passion and creativity that went into the creation, support and promotion of the show. It is so fitting that this award is in the category of Best Family Show, given how central work for families, children and young people is to all that we do.”

Royal & Derngate chief executive Jo Gordon added: “We are so proud of our teams here at Royal & Derngate and the part they played in creating this wonderful show. In these difficult times, to have this recognition of our work is a much-needed boost for everyone here.”

Established in 1976, the Olivier Awards celebrate the world-class status of London theatre, and are Britain’s most prestigious stage honours.

Royal & Derngate’s Made in Northampton season is sponsored locally by Michael Jones Jeweller.

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BUSINESS REPORT An aerial shot of the nearly completed building

MILESTONE FOR MEMBER A boutique HR consultancy is celebrating 10 years as a member of Northamptonshire Chamber.

Acanthus Management Limited is led by Maggie Halsall (pictured) and provides local and national clients with practical and commercially focused outsourced HR services.

Maggie’s association with the Chamber began a decade ago when she was a member of the University of Northampton’s Enterprise Club - an alumni association offering support to entrepreneurs. It offered her a year’s free membership and she has never looked back.

As well as staying with the Chamber for 10 years, she became one of its board members in 2014 and joined its sister Chamber in Milton Keynes eight years ago.

Maggie said: “I joined the Chamber to mix with, and learn from, other people in business.

“I’ve gone on to sit on the Chamber’s board because I wanted to put something back into the business community and stand by those who supported me when I started Acanthus in 2009.”

Maggie also later joined the Chamber’s Finance Sub-Group and Remuneration Committee and continues to use the organisation as a learning resource and for networking.

She added: “Being a Chamber member alerts me to potential opportunities. It allows me to appreciate what’s happening in people’s businesses and to hear about trends or people management issues first-hand, so that I may be able to offer help. As a result, I’ve built long-lasting relationships with an eclectic mix of people who are as passionate as I am about developing a local business community in a rural setting.”

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BUSINESS CENTRE TO OPEN NEW OFFICES An independent, family-run business centre is opening new offices and a conference centre for more than 100 delegates to cope with demand for its facilities.

Bragborough Hall Business Centre is set to open The Aviary in April. It will feature 15 new offices, a conference centre, meeting rooms and outdoor spaces for breakout purposes and lunchtime walks.

The venue has also recently appointed new events and conference manager Hester Dunkley, who has worked in the events and exhibition industry for a decade.

She said: “I joined the team at the beginning of the year in advance of the spectacular 100% floorspace expansion of the business centre that was first established nearly two decades ago. We’re very excited about opening The Aviary. It has excellent connectivity and state-of-the-art technology is a given as we anticipate many of our first events

will be hybrid, combining both online and physical events together.

“Looking further ahead we also plan to hold an open day later in the year – hopefully in the summer.”

The Aviary adds to the existing 15 offices and treatment rooms in the venue’s Health & Wellbeing Centre. Lunchtime yoga classes, afterwork massages or even an

orthopaedic consultation are just some of the onsite offerings.

The venue also has cottages available for short breaks. Locally sourced hot and cold food is available every day and there is plenty of free parking available.

Visit: www.bragboroughhall businesscentre.com

Work gets underway onsite

ACQUISITION FOR OASIS GROUP OASIS Group, the largest privately-owned Records was the most logical step for us and our clients,” said and Information Management (RIM) provider in Gerry Hulshoff, shareholder at NETarchief.

Europe has acquired NETarchief, the archive As a specialist provider of records and information management division of Van’t Net management solutions OASIS Group are in a Archiefbeheer B.V. unique position to support clients The Netherlands-based storage throughout a records lifecycle. company, NETarchief, was formed in OASIS Group, which operates across ‘THE 1998 to provide archive storage Europe, provides clients with end-to-end services alongside the established records and information management FACE OF THE removals business. Under the terms of services ranging from records and WORKPLACE IS the agreement OASIS Group will document storage, scanning and CHANGING integrate the NETarchief archive digitisation, cloud storage, through to management business with OASIS Data shredding and destruction services.

RAPIDLY’ & Document Management Netherlands OASIS Group director of corporate B.V. development Matt Thornton said: “Despite “The face of the workplace is changing the pandemic the acquisitions team are rapidly. Regulation is becoming stricter, working in partnership with business owners especially with regards to privacy. And with more across Europe who are seeking a smooth transition.” clients opting to continue to work from home, we felt This transaction marks the 51st successful acquisition that integrating our archive services with OASIS Group for OASIS Group.

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MAJOR REBRAND FOR FORTEC Fortec Distribution Network has rolled out a major rebrand to underline its new era as part of the Pall-Ex Group of companies.

The Northamptonshire pallet network has undergone an image overhaul as part of its 25th anniversary. The new look reflects Pall-Ex Group’s iconic arrow branding, while keeping Fortec’s recognisable blue and green colour scheme.

The move will prove costeffective for Fortec and its members, as its former livery required bespoke colours and ‘THIS CHANGE specially made UNDERLINES materials, which OUR GROWTH limited the pool of suppliers available to AS A GROUP’ its network of independent hauliers. competitor in the The new design will market, both save up to £3,000 per nationally and vehicle, reduce wastage from the internationally, via new fabrics used for curtain livery and technology and our well-established enable its network to use their partners in mainland Europe. preferred livery supplier.

“It also underlines our Kevin Buchanan, group CEO at commitment to our members, who Pall-Ex Group, said: “This change can now engage with multiple underlines our growth as a group livery companies to obtain the and positions Fortec as a strong most competitive quotes and

Fortec reveals new livery for its new era

update their fleets with their shareholder status via new logos in a cost-effective way.

“It’s essential for us to realign the Fortec brand and underline the benefits of our partnership, while still retaining Fortec’s own established identity.”

Fortec Distribution Network is one of the UK’s leading palletised freight distribution networks. Part of

the Pall-Ex Group of companies, it forms the largest overall collection of members within the UK. Fortec distributes thousands of consignments every day, through its shareholder membership, from a range of industries around the UK and throughout the globe.

Visit: www.fortecdistribution.co.uk

A GREAT START TO 2021 FOR HR FIRM

DRIVING GROWTH IN YOUR BUSINESS Northamptonshire-based marketing specialist Silver Jet Insight has launched Return On Incentives - a new way for businesses to grow their customer base, incentivise their sales generation and reward employees.

Return On Incentives takes the concept of loyalty programmes and incentive initiatives, boosting their effectiveness through intelligent targeting, smart campaigns and an excellent customer experience.

Its user portal for viewing and redeeming rewards is simple and effective, but the back end allows clients to build bespoke activities, from invitation-only campaigns to new customer programmes.

Founder Stephen James said: “We’re always looking at how our specialist skills in targeted, personalised and automated marketing can be used to our clients’ benefit and this is where the idea of Return On Incentives came from. It utilises the skills we use for our clients on a daily basis, such as using analytics to understand spend potential, monitoring behaviour to find the triggers to engage customers and communications to drive a positive response.”

Visit: returnonincentives.co.uk

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An organisation which helps employers overcome HR challenges has started the year on a high with the launch of its new website and a major fundraising drive.

Gateway HR and Training Ltd has a team with more than 70 years of combined HR, training and coaching experience that is passionate about helping businesses get the best from their people.

To showcase their values, the firm unveiled a new website at the beginning of 2021 and has also been raising money for its chosen charity of the year, fellow Chamber members, The Lewis Foundation.

Business manager Theresa Wright said: “For us everything is about people – our own and our clients and we wanted to reflect this in our website.

“Firstly, it shows we’re personable and take pride in the relationships we build. It also highlights that we work flexibly and in the best interests of our clients and it reveals our experience and qualifications to reassure clients that our advice and training is expert and current.”

Since revealing it was supporting The Lewis Foundation, the firm has organized a range of fundraising activities for the charity which

Graham Ravenscroft

provides free gifts and support packages to adult cancer patients in hospital every week.

These have included an online workshop with lead performance coach Graham Ravenscroft and Paralympic silver medalist and World Champion high jumper, Jonathan Broom-Edwards, on Resilience in the Face of Adversity.

The Gateway HR team has also pledged to walk the number of steps needed to circumnavigate the globe for the charity. This means they will need to walk an average of 500 miles a week for 52 weeks.

To support Gateway HR’s Global Walk for The Lewis Foundation visit www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/gateway-hr-team Visit: www.gatewayhr.com

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BUSINESS REPORT AWARD WIN FOR THE LOWDOWN The lowdown, a voluntary organisation in Northampton which supports young people in their journey towards positive emotional health and wellbeing, has been awarded the Rose of Northamptonshire Award.

The award recognises the hard work and determination of groups or individuals who have worked tirelessly to keep our communities safe and businesses moving during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The lowdown provides free and confidential counselling, wellbeing, sexual health and LGBTQ support services to young people aged between 11 and 25 living in Northampton and surrounding areas.

Fundraising and marketing manager Ellie White said: “The lowdown is so proud of this award as we have adapted services and made significant changes to our building to enable our dedicated counsellors and support workers to continue supporting vulnerable young people during 2020 and into 2021.

“We’d like to say well done to our fabulous team for their hard work.”

PARM TO BUILD UP COACHING SERVICES The founder of an award-winning construction firm is now offering coaching services to other companies in his industry.

Parm Bhangal (pictured) launched Bhangals Construction Consultants in 2010 and quickly turned it into a thriving firm with bases in Northampton and London.

The firm has won a string of regional and national business awards, helped 3,000 clients and worked on hundreds of millions of pounds worth of construction projects and estimates. By 2019 it had turned over its first £1m and Parm is now offering award-winning business coaching to help other construction industry professionals.

Parm is specifically looking to help owners of construction businesses, contractors and property developers to grow.

They will learn how to break through limiting beliefs that hold them back and identify opportunities to grow their business through one-to-one business coaching sessions, monthly masterminds, workshops, courses, WhatsApp and Facebook support groups.

Parm said: “It’s not enough for construction firm bosses to simply know how to run their company. They also need to know how to get more work and take advantage of the contracts and opportunities that are out there.

“I can support them by helping them set clear goals and develop efficient strategies to achieve them.”

Visit: www.parmbhangal.co.uk

Visit: www.thelowdown.info

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BUSINESS REPORT

VEKA RECYCLING INVESTS IN ITS PIONEERING PLANT VEKA Recycling has invested £150,000 in six new silos to increase storage capacity at its pioneering Wellingborough recycling plant.

The extra space created by the installation of the two 20m3 and four 10m3 silos, completed in January, increases the efficiency of the plant which is now fully operational following the completion of a phased, £15m investment programme spanning three years.

Managing director Simon Scholes said: “This latest investment not only increases our storage capacity in order to streamline our own operations but further illustrates our commitment to increase the capacity for PVC-U recycling in the UK. “We’ve also obtained planning permission for additional 20m3 silos. Although installation isn’t imminent, there’s plenty of future capacity available should we decide to construct these later.”

The new silos join an existing 130tonne capacity silo installed in late 2019 to hold a significant proportion of the old window frames delivered

The six new silos

to site prior to processing.

Ultimately, the new silos will enable the organisation to recycle even greater amounts of waste PVCU product in order to achieve its objective to keep as many end-oflife PVC-U windows and doors out of landfill as possible.

Simon Scholes added: “The recyclability of PVC-U is becoming a major selling point, as

organisations become increasingly aware of the impact of postconsumer waste on the environment. We’re determined to reduce this impact and our ongoing investment in our Wellingborough plant, which is the most advanced in Europe – and possibly the world, demonstrates that.”

Visit: www.veka-recycling.co.uk

MD TAKES ON CHALLENGE The managing director of a company specialising in SAP Compliance and Risk will row 3,000,000 metres this year in aid of two good causes.

Alan Cooney, of RapidGRC, has taken on the challenge on a Concept2 Rower machine in aid of Northamptonshire Chamber charity of the year, Northampton Hope Centre, which tackles poverty and homelessness, and Veterans Aid which is dedicated to helping UK veterans in crisis.

To date he has completed over 1,000,000 meters.

Alan aims to raise £1,200 for the Northampton Hope Centre and £2,000 for Veterans Aid. Supporters can sponsor Alan by donating online at www.justgiving.com/team/3Mi llionMeterRow or can text RAPID to 70085 to donate £10.

RapidGRC provides SAP governance, risk management, compliance and security services to a variety of industries and customers who use SAP software.

Visit: www.rapid-grc.com

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POLICY MATTERS

POLICY MATTERS Northamptonshire Chamber represents your views to the people who matter Business leaders across our region say there is little to cheer over the UK economy avoiding a double-dip recession. The latest GDP figures show that the economy grew in the final quarter of 2020 by one per cent but, overall, it shrank by 9.9% throughout the year.

While the vaccine rollout offers optimism for many businesses, the scarring caused by the pandemic will likely be highlighted as government support begins to wind down, with the very real ‘BUSINESSES prospect of continued postWILL HAVE Brexit disruption, any recovery WELCOMED A may be slower than the Bank of England currently predicts.

CLEAR ROADMAP The current drip-feed when restrictions could begin BACK TO A SENSE approach to support measures to be gradually lifted but said OF NORMALITY’ means firms cannot plan for more the easing of lockdown would be than a few weeks ahead. guided by data, not dates.

The focus for the Chamber of He said he wanted the current Commerce Policy Network will be to lockdown to be the last and the easing of continue to amplify the voice of businesses restrictions to be irreversible, beginning with the throughout our region to ensure the support that reopening of schools and other education firms desperately need is made available by the establishments, building to a potential full Government. reopening of society and the economy on 21 June.

Businesses will have welcomed a clear It has clearly been a huge challenge for the roadmap back to a sense of normality, when on Government to get the balance right between 22 February in an address to Parliament, Prime the health of the economy and the health of the Minister Boris Johnson set out a timeline on nation.

An area that can certainly benefit from a more balanced approach by Government is the Business Rates system. The Chamber will continue to urge the Chancellor to extend the business rates support for those firms hardest hit

by Covid-19 - after the announcement of a further delay to the overdue reform of the whole system.

The need to deliver fundamental change to this longstanding drag on business has become only more pressing in the light of Covid-19.

Further delay in the reforming of a broken system will only hamper recovery by continuing to exacerbate business cash flow concerns as part of the fixed cost base that firms can do little to push downward.

The concerns about business rate reform, support from Government and the impacts of Brexit are reported to our Chamber in a variety of ways. But most notably in our Quarterly Economic Survey (QES), we would encourage every business leader within our county to complete this survey to help your Chamber to create an accurate picture of the current landscape.

For further information about the QES visit www.northants-chamber.co.uk/ representation/quarterly-economic-surveys

NEW TECHNOLOGY AND ANCIENT RECIPES BRING ‘BLOOMIN HEALTHY’ RESULTS A company which provides ‘natural products for a longer, healthier life’ is combining the latest technology with ancient recipes to revolutionise the way people think about vitamins and supplements.

A small number of dietary and nutritional supplement companies have begun using nano technology, or liposomes, to help people’s bodies better absorb the supplements and vitamins they take to stay healthy.

Northampton-based Bloomin Healthy, which can track all its products back to their source, is a leading proponent of the technology in the field in the UK. Director Amrit Hans (pictured) said: “The past year has been testing for everyone. A lot of us have become more aware of what we’re putting into our bodies and many people have start taking vitamins or health supplements in a bid to improve their health or boost immunity.

“The problem is many multivitamins tablets provide no clear benefit and go straight through your body without being 12 inbusiness APRIL/MAY 2021

absorbed by it. A few years ago, John Hopkins researchers reviewed evidence about supplements from three studies and in an editorial on their findings they urged people to ‘stop wasting their money’ on them.

“This is where we come in. We’re fighting to make sure supplements are worth something and don’t simply go through the body and have very little impact.

“We combine all-natural vitamins, minerals and plant extracts with liposomal delivery so our bodies more willingly accept them into our bloodstreams and as a result they boost our immunity for far longer periods of time.”

Visit: www.bloominhealthy.com

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BUSINESS REPORT GIVE BACK TO STUDENTS

Scott Norville and Ryan Bishop present a cheque to Nina Gandy

LEASING BROKER LENDS BACKING TO HOSPICE A multi award-winning car and van leasing firm has thrown its weight behind a charity that provides vital specialist palliative care services for south Northamptonshire, for the fourth year in a row.

Silverstone Fleet Management has once again named fellow Chamber member Cynthia Spencer Hospice as its chosen Charity of the Year.

Over the years, it has raised over £4,000 for the Hospice through family fun days, sponsored marathons, the Cycle4Cynthia fundraiser and last year’s #SilverstoneSoccer football tournament for businesses and #SingForCynthia campaign on LinkedIn. In 2021, the firm aims to raise £2,000.

Silverstone Fleet Management managing director

Scott Norville said: “Cynthia Spencer Hospice needs to raise nearly £1.5m – that’s over £4,000, a day – to continue to provide and improve the services it offers.

It plays such an important role in the lives of families in Northamptonshire and we’re proud to support it and give back to the community.”

Cynthia Spencer Hospice corporate partnerships fundraiser, Nina Gandy, added: “Silverstone Fleet Management’s support enables our patients and their families to continue to be supported as these strange times continue.”

Visit: www.silverstonefleetmanagement.com Visit: www.cynthiaspencer.org.uk

Businesses are being given the chance to back a new online employability support programme designed to help thousands of school students understand workplace expectations.

Proactive Young People CIC, which promotes entrepreneurship through work-related learning activities, work experience, internships and T-Level industry placements, will share the programme with schools in Northamptonshire, Milton Keynes, Warwickshire and Leicestershire.

Students will receive certificates for each section of the programme they successfully complete.

To ensure the programme reaches as many young people as possible, the organisation needs to raise £2,500 and is looking for sponsorship from businesses.

Sponsorship opportunities are available from £99. For further information call 07702048618 or email info@proactiveeducation.co.uk

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ADVICE OFFERED ON REDUNDANCIES A ‘PURR-FECT’ REVAMP FOR WEBSITE A caring mortgage company director has updated her firm’s branding and revamped her website to better reflect the type of support she offers to her clients.

Bubbletree Mortgages director Emma Fanthom (pictured) prides herself on offering a caring and friendly approach which is based around looking after her clients by listening to their requirements and offering a supportive, hand-holding service.

Her new branding uses softer colours and her new look website features more information about Emma - including her love of cats to help clients get to know her personality and work style.

Emma said: “Often clients, particularly first-time buyers, can feel quite nervous about arranging a mortgage so when they come to me I just try to be myself to put them at ease.

“I build up relationships with clients. They get to know who I am and see how friendly and professional I am.”

Bubbletree Mortgages is part of the Stonebridge Network which means its clients are not limited to a particular panel of lenders – they can access offers from across the whole market.

Visit: www.bubbletreemortgages.co.uk

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A team of career guidance specialists has been helping fellow Chamber members in the face of redundancy rates which are growing faster now than during the 2008-2009 economic downturn.

The Office for National Statistics revealed in February that the employment rate decreased by 1.1% points between January to March and September to November last year to 75.2%. It said this showed the rate of redundancies recorded since the beginning of the pandemic had exceeded the highest rate reached during the financial crisis.

In response, Career Inspiration Ltd has offered advice to help businesses and employees reduce the risk of redundancies.

Director Kirti Patel said: “If employers are unsure of whether they need to make redundancies, they should speak to an HR consultant as they’ll ensure the process is legal and may be able to suggest alternatives.

“They should also speak to their accountants to make sure their cash flow is as healthy as possible and reach out to their team and

referral network. Suppliers may be able to defer payments and extend payment periods and clients may be in a position to pay quicker.”

To further help Chamber members, the firm has produced a list of top tips to show employees how to protect themselves and help their organisations to reduce the need to make redundancies.

Employees are advised to: • Consistently show their employer how valuable they are, their unique skills and experience.

They should go above and beyond for clients • Work with their seniors, if possible, to reduce the number of redundancies. If employees have potential solutions, they should suggest them • Network internally. They should find out who can support them to help their employer generate income or reduce costs.

Career Inspiration offers a free diagnostic conversation to fellow Chamber members.

Visit: careerinspiration.co.uk

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BUSINESS REPORT

BIG-HEARTED GESTURE FROM LOCAL CHARITY

‘SERVICE-USERS HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTE SUPERSTARS’

Martha with the Valentine's boxes

More than 100 Valentine’s Day boxes were gifted to adults with learning disabilities and mental health conditions in Northamptonshire.

Local charity, Teamwork Trust – which supports autistic adults and those with additional needs and disabilities in Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough – was unable to host its popular Valentine’s Ball this year, so instead delivered luxury gift boxes to its service-users.

Martha McKeown, who has worked at Teamwork Trust as a volunteer and apprentice for two years, said it was a way to recognise service-users for how well they have coped during Covid-19 with the charity’s remote ‘Living & Learning’ programme.

“Everything we do at Teamwork is about our service-users and giving them opportunities and experiences,” said Martha, who led the project along with the charity’s two other apprentices, Manav and Macy.

The trio spent weeks planning and sourcing petals, balloons, gift items and themed activities. They then enlisted help from Teamwork Trust staff and volunteers to pack everything into ribbon-tied boxes and deliver them to service-users’ doorsteps countywide.

Martha added: “Our Valentine’s Ball is one of the highlights of the year so when we realised that wasn’t going to be possible, we made every effort to come up with an alternative. Service-users have been absolute superstars with the way they’ve adapted over the pandemic, so it was our way of saying ‘well done’.”

Visit: www.teamworktrust.co.uk

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BUSINESS REPORT

PDS’ Waldorf Astoria afternoon tea

DELIVERING LUXURY IN LOCKDOWN A Wellingborough design and print management company has helped one of its hospitality clients to bring some joy to their customers in the shape of a luxury champagne afternoon tea delivered to their door during lockdown.

Agencypds, part of Print Data Solutions (PDS), designed, printed and produced the bespoke fourtiered cake stand that ensured the safe transportation of treats created by the talented pastry chefs at the Edinburgh Waldorf Astoria.

Olivia Ray, client services director for agencypds, said: “We are grateful to have been busy throughout the pandemic and our creative design team wanted to think of ways to enable other businesses to maintain their operations in difficult circumstances.

“We have also been designing a range of special gifts that organisations can send to their employees working from home to boost morale and help to enhance their wellbeing.”

The agencypds team is working hard to generate some ingenious design ideas for print, digital and packaging. PDS offers seamless access to expertise in print management, branded merchandise, and fulfilment and logistics services for projects that require extra support.

Olivia added: “We’d be delighted to hear from other businesses that might need help with ideas to keep their client base warm as we work to boost post-pandemic economic recovery.”

Call: 01933 672150 Email: agencypds@printdata solutions.co.uk Visit: www.agencypds.com

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MILESTONE FOR MOULTON COLLEGE Established in 1921 as the Institute for Agriculture, Moulton College has witnessed significant change over the past century and equipped thousands of students with essential workplace skills.

The college was a training centre for the Women’s Land Army and following the war has expanded its course offer from agriculture subjects to include animal welfare, construction and sport.

To celebrate its extensive and rich history, the college is calling for former students to share their stories, reconnect with old friends and learn about the college’s last 100 years.

Corrie Harris, principal and CEO of Moulton College said: “We’re so proud of the college’s incredible heritage, and its history is shaped by the stories of those who studied with us. We’d love to hear from those willing to share photographs and memories of their time at Moulton. There’s no better way for us to learn more about Moulton’s history than by speaking with those who experienced student life here.”

As part of the College’s 100-year celebrations, it is also relaunching its Alumni Association, which aims to

Moulton College staff and students 1935

inspire current and future students with the life stories of its previous students.

Corrie added: “All stories are important to us, so whether you graduated five years ago, or 50 we’d love to hear from you. Our Alumni Association is a platform to share your unique story, knowing that your experiences and memories at college and beyond will inspire the next generation.”

Email: marketing@moulton.ac.uk Visit: www.moulton.ac.uk

SHARING EXPERT KNOWLEDGE Northamptonshire-based Poppy Design Studio has been helping businesses up and down the nation with its helpful and friendly free advice.

Marketing manager Simon Cox (pictured) has been sharing the team’s knowledge with small businesses via Zoom and telephone calls as well as writing interesting articles offering helpful information which have been featured in publications and online.

Alongside head designer and director Marie Baker, Simon has presented a number of ideas on marketing. Simultaneously, the firm’s After Care team, led by Nigel Baker, has helped new clients cut their existing hosting costs for their websites and email by moving them to Poppy Design Studio’s servers and has advised other companies about their hosting options.

guidance to small businesses across the country.

“In addition to this we’ve published our own helpful tips on our website which have received positive feedback from clients.

We’re also offering our time, free of charge, to ‘WE’RE HAPPY talk to businesses TO TALK TO about their marketing ANYONE WHO as it’s a good time to WOULD LIKE look at all those Simon said: projects that they can SOME ADVICE’ “We’ve been never normally find time supporting to complete. We’re happy businesses around the to talk to anyone who would county as usual, however, like some advice on their we’ve also supported websites, branding and connecting to businesses further afield with their audience.” friendly advice and support.

“Between us, we pulled together To view the latest tips on a number of tips and articles, which marketing your business visit have been published nationally on poppydesignstudio.com /marketin the Enterprise Nation and Small g-your-business-during-lockdown Business Charter websites, to give

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GOING GLOBAL

GOING GLOBAL

The Chamber’s INTERNATIONAL TRADE TEAM will help you navigate your way through all of the regulatory procedures and documents that you’ll need for successful international trading

TACKLING THE PLASTIC PROBLEM Vanuatu has become the first country in the world to propose a ban on disposable nappies as part of a bold move to eliminate unnecessary single-use plastic waste due to the devastating effects caused to the Pacific Island, with 27% of Vanuatu’s waste being single-use disposable nappies.

Reusable nappy experts, Bambino Mio, strongly believe a product solution to the disposable nappy ban already exists in the form of modern reusable nappies.

To help introduce this sustainable solution, the brand teamed up with a local social enterprise, Mamma’s Laef Vanuatu, to provide advice, financial support, product education and technical expertise to help facilitate independent production of reusable nappies which Mamma’s Laef Vanuatu could manufacture and distribute independently.

Bambino Mio managing director Guy Schanschieff said: “We’re incredibly proud to be supporting Mamma’s Laef to help develop locally-led reusable nappy manufacturing. This initiative will not only help the environment and help parents save money, it’s also an opportunity to build a homegrown industry that will create more jobs in Vanuatu.”

‘WE’RE INCREDIBLY PROUD TO BE SUPPORTING MAMMA’S LAEF’

Bambino Mio worked closely with the social enterprise to undertake a pilot scheme to encourage a community trial of the locally made modern reusable nappies to help support the Government’s proposed ban, meet the needs of local communities, reduce plastic pollution, and save families money.

Island nations are hit hard by climate change and plastic pollution and the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu is no exception. The replacement of single-use nappies with Mamma’s Laef reusable nappies in Vanuatu would support 13 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Building on this work in Vanuatu, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional

Environment Programme (SPREP) has recently announced a project across all 15 countries in the Pacific to look at alternatives to single-use nappies. Bambino Mio stands ready to assist any government looking to introduce modern reusable nappies into their countries.

Visit: www.bambinomio.co.uk

SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADERS A new dedicated membership package from Northamptonshire Chamber has proven hugely popular with international traders.

The freshly launched International Trade Membership option has been designed for members with international trading needs, allowing members access to all standard Chamber membership benefits alongside enhanced support for international trading.

This specifically tailored package offers exclusive access to vital forums, and international trade seminars in addition to dedicated international trade advice and support lines.

Every international trade member will receive support to help maximise their membership in line with any international trade requirements, as well as monthly news updates and relevant, timely content.

The Chamber’s dedicated International Trade team and partners will

also provide an Export Readiness Consultation designed to support exporters with signposting advice and expert knowledge.

As ever, international trade members will continue to receive priority documentation services and discounted rates for certain documentation paperwork, plus access to a free FX currency audit check, international trade seminars, an International Trade Chamber helpline, and general everyday international trade support and advice.

Northamptonshire Chamber interim CEO Louise Wall said: “This new proactive service for international traders will provide an unrivalled level of business support for those who choose to use it. We are dedicated to offering the very best service for our members and this adds to the already impressive list of benefits of being a Chamber member.”

Email: sunny.singh@northants-chamber.co.uk

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

In this issue we look at the COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING and HOTELS, CONFERENCES & EVENTS sectors in the Northamptonshire area

GETTING THE RIGHT RESULTS A national award-winning marketing and communications agency is delivering an evidence and results-based service to fellow Northamptonshire Chamber members.

Ashley Riley Communications brings a ‘Think, Plan, Do’ approach to its work. It has delivered success for its clients in one of the most challenging economic times.

“There are many marketing and PR agencies who like us can work with businesses to create a clear strategy and develop activity plans,” said managing director Ashley Riley.

“Many of them can also deploy marketing and communications tools and approaches but very few of them, if any, apply the ‘Thinking’ to that work – where intelligent research underpins everything that is done. I am passionate about our work as a marketing and communications agency helping firms find, retain and grow, more profitable customers and clients. Today more than ever business needs results from its marketing and that is who we are and what we do.”

Ashley and his team are working alongside fellow Chamber members such as Stanair Industrial Doors, Trilogy Leisure, Video Inn Productions and others.

‘BUSINESS He added: “It is great to work in partnership with NEEDS RESULTS fellow Chamber members.

FROM ITS “No business has the time, energy or resource to market to people that will never use their services or MARKETING’ products. That is why evidence-based market orientation has to underpin everything that we do.

Followed by research-led planning and delivery, it means our clients are engaging the right people, in the right place at the right time in 2021.”

Ashley Riley and Claire Wellington from Trilogy Leisure

Visit: www.ashleyrileycommunications.co.uk

TAILORED PR PACKAGES FOR YOUR NEEDS A new ‘Adapt, Recover, Rebuild’ package has been launched by Pilkington Communications to help UK businesses rebuild after the challenges of coronavirus.

These eight-week PR packages, which the communications experts tailor to precisely meet each organisation’s needs and objectives, are proving popular with businesses and charities.

Among those being supported are virtual assistant business Alchemy VA, Brackmills Industrial Estate, Daniel Granger Hairdressing, cancer support charity The Lewis Foundation, social enterprise Track NN and Delapré Abbey.

Director Jessica Pilkington said: “Our packages provide short-term and focused PR and communications support. What one organisation needs will rarely suit

Cassia House, Jessica Pilkington & Kim Hughes of Pilkington Communications

another, so it’s important they’re bespoke.

“For example, while two organisations may both want new leads, they’re likely to need

different communications support to achieve this.

“If your website is your main point of sale and promotion that needs to be a focus, along with

your social media which should link to key areas on your site,” said Jessica.

“Positive press coverage may be on your wish list, but ensure you include a ‘call to action’. What do you want readers or viewers to do – visit your website, follow you on LinkedIn, sign up to your newsletter?

“We can’t currently rely on footfall or events to promote our businesses so it’s never been more important to get all your communications channels spot on, with a consistent tone of voice, clear messaging and analytics.”

Jessica will also share PR tips at the ChamberLIVE: PR & Comms – Adapt, Recover, Rebuild event on 20 April.

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING IMPROVE ONLINE CAMPAIGNS One of Northampton’s leading digital marketing agencies has produced a list of top tips to help fellow Chamber members improve their social ad campaigns.

Onefoursix has built up an enviable reputation over the past nine years by delivering a range of highly successful services covering web design, marketing, digital marketing, social media management, PR, PPC, print and design and branding.

Managing director Dave Williams said: “With many businesses utilising social ad campaigns, we wanted to show Chamber members some of the ways they can improve their ads.

“These tips will get you more clicks and increase your conversion rates, whilst reducing the overall cost per click.”

Onefoursix’s top tips are: 1. Build Trust - the key to higher conversion rates is to not make the viewer think you’re directly selling to them.

Avoid using sales-based campaigns. Instead, try running your initial campaign as a trust-building campaign.

You can do this by sharing a useful resource, such as a blog or case study, or a lifestyle image for product-based businesses 2. Utilise remarketing - now you’re in a position to start thinking about sales-based campaigns. Once your initial ad has caught people’s interest, it’s a great time to start running a series of remarketing campaigns. This will help to draw people to your website, to re-visit your product or service. This is when you should bring through a sales message 3. Adjust your ad copy - your ad copy refers to the text you include. It’s important to create a clear path to what you’re trying to achieve – a sale! The copy of your landing page should mirror the copy in your ad. If you send your clicks to a landing page that uses language with completely different context, it’ll result in your cost per click increasing because your traffic isn’t landing on the relevant page.

Visit: www.onefoursix.co.uk

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NEW SERVICE AVAILABLE Solution Factors has launched a new service during lockdown bespoke training in SEO copywriting.

Owner Rachael Bean explained how she’s been surprised at the demand for this service by writers in marketing departments.

She said: “Although I’m a PR and marketing consultant and service provider, I’ve always supported my clients’ own marketing staff through informal on-the-job training as I’m a great believer in skills transfer.

“In March 2020, when the lockdown started, clients started to ask for bespoke SEO writing training on Zoom. We simply cover pieces of web content that are already on the customer’s ‘to do’ list so the training is relevant from the outset. I hadn’t offered this service before, but now there’s a market for it.”

Rachael Bean

Rachael started her career in PR and marketing well over 20 years ago and remembers how difficult it could be to apply classroom training material to highly specialised and often technical markets.

She recalls frequently travelling to London to attend expensive

courses but believes her most effective learning periods took place at her own desk.

“I learned most of the marketing skills that can make the difference between a campaign working – or not – at my desk,” Rachel explained.

“My career has always involved being hands-on in business or charity growth and development. I was incredibly fortunate to work with exceptionally talented and realistic peers early on, which has proved to be a sound foundation to build on.”

Since she started out in PR and marketing in the late 1990s, Rachael has been involved in growing organisations, often by millions, in demanding industries.

Email: rachael@solutionfactors.com Call: 07741 000030

Catherine Bontoft, Emma Speirs and Katie Macdonald of Ballyhoo PR

PR FIRM IS BOOSTING BUSINESS A PR and copywriting firm in Corby has boosted the profile of several county businesses by becoming their Virtual PR & Comms Team.

Ballyhoo PR has taken ownership of a variety of firms’ PR activity and marketing communications, creating bespoke monthly, quarterly and annual PR and Comms Plans that have helped them to stand out from their competitors.

The firm handles everything for its clients from daily social media posts, press releases, blogs, magazine articles and awards submissions to seeking out guest blogging, podcast and broadcast opportunities.

Director Emma Speirs said: “The way a business communicates with current and potential clients and referrers has never mattered so much. In a world where we can’t attend face-to-face meetings and networking events, our chance to make an impression and build

trust is all done virtually and with a degree of separation.

“To make sure our clients keep their profiles high we have regular catch ups with them and decide what is newsworthy enough to make a good press release and what would make an interesting blog.

“We also plan ahead, looking at launch dates, awards we can enter, national awareness days and any other business milestones such as anniversaries, new contract wins or grand openings. Then we pull all of this together into manageable activities that we can take ownership of for our clients and ensure they are getting seen at every opportunity.”

Is 2021 the year you would like to get noticed?

Call: 01536 682800 Email: emma.speirs@ballyhoo-pr.co.uk

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: HOTELS, CONFERENCES & EVENTS

EVENTS AGENCY HAS GONE VIRTUAL

L-R: Jo Ferreday and Shannon Howe, of I Cook You Serve

experts to provide advice to other businesses and has supported several charities through fundraising and social media promotion. Sheer Edge also launched Sheer Business Inspiration Podcast to share inspiring stores.

Jo said: “If you'd have told me at

Photo courtesy of Nick Freeman Photography

An award-winning hospitality and events agency has defied all expectations by flourishing during the pandemic.

It’s been widely reported how badly the UK’s £70bn events industry has been impacted by coronavirus but Sheer Edge’s success has continued to soar thanks to its forward-thinking managing director, Jo Ferreday.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Jo quickly transitioned from offering in-person events to virtual events and has created a variety of events tailored to her clients’ needs. In addition, Sheer Edge has hosted #virtualchats with branding, marketing and PR

the beginning of 2020 we’d be running 100% virtual events I’d have been bemused. We thrive on live events but we have an amazing events team who embraced the situation and we’re now running all manner of virtual events and productions. Clients, who usually book corporate hospitality, have asked us to create amazing bespoke entertainment productions as well as the standard escape rooms, wine tasting, cocktail making and fun quizzes. We are ready for face-to-face events to return but we think hybrid events will play a significant role in the future.”

The business continues to grow

and to mark its fifth anniversary it has launched two new initiatives.

Firstly, its new Incentives and Rewards service gives companies the opportunity to keep their teams engaged and motivated during uncertain times.

Secondly, it is providing wellness hampers and sessions, for organisations to roll out to their remote teams, with fellow Chamber member I Cook You Serve and Soo Yoga. For every session or hamper sold, Sheer Edge donates £2 to Eventwell and Kaleidsocope Group Plus who provide mental health support.

Email: hello@sheeredge.co.uk

POPULAR EXPO SET TO MAKE A RETURN One of the biggest events in Northamptonshire’s networking calendar is set to return in November.

The Northamptonshire Expo, also known as Your Business Expo, has been a firm fixture in the local business diary since 2014 and will take place this year on 25 November at Holiday Inn Corby.

Due to the pandemic, organisers Sheila Smith Sales and Events, will partially run the Expo online with brand new software specifically designed for the occasion which is being sponsored by fellow Chamber members, The Business Times.

Sheila said: “Our first virtual exhibition in October attracted more than 960 visitors from eight different countries.

“It was a huge success thanks to the 35-plus exhibitors and five great speakers who got behind the initiative and bravely tried something new with us.

“That success gave us the confidence we needed to start work on November’s Expo which we expect to be a hybrid event containing both virtual elements as well as face-to-face interaction.”

The Expo is designed to be a real showcase opportunity and will give exhibitors the chance to show off their companies and generate new leads via face-to-face interaction and messenger. Exhibitors can also showcase themselves through videos, sell products and services, collect business cards and run live draws.

In addition, the November event will feature a variety of talented guest speakers.

For further information – or to book your stand – visit www.yourbusinessexpo.co.uk

A SAFE SPACE FOR BUSINESS MEETINGS Sedgebrook Hall in Northampton is offering new ‘Meet Out to Help Out’ delegate rates specifically designed to get people back together and meeting in a safe and organised environment.

The new rates offer a day delegate rate or the inclusion of overnight accommodation. The venue is part of The Venues Collection, and is working to the Group’s ‘Stay Safe, Feel Safe’ COVID Secure Standards Charter – a six point charter that is committed to reassuring organisers and keeping everyone safe.

Sedgebrook Hall is a period property with modern, recently refreshed facilities offering 22 flexible event spaces with a capacity of two to 200 people, 103 bedrooms and 173sqm of exhibition space.

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Sedgebrook Hall - Cedar Cabaret

Hotel manager Dominic Biggin said: “Our venue is set in the heart of Northamptonshire in 13 acres of landscaped grounds that is ideal for teambuilding activities and outdoor events, and is just five miles from the M1 and Northampton train station.

“Sedgebrook Hall also offers fully serviced office space, for companies to use on an hourly, daily or weekly basis, offering companies the perfect location to bring their teams together for teambuilding, a meeting or simply to collaborate.”

The Venue Collection is a group of eight affordable purpose-built conference and training venues that offer the combination of value-formoney and modern flexible meeting facilities.

Located in central England in out-of-town locations, all venues have flexible meeting space, extensive breakout areas, leisure facilities, onsite free parking and all but one venue has onsite accommodation.

Visit: www.sedgebrookhall.co.uk

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TALKING BUSINESS

KEEPING THE COUNTRY MOVING Crisis Logistics has kept some of the globe’s best known brands on the road during the past 12 months and helped deliver PPE to support the UK’s fightback against coronavirus. Managing director EDWARD GRANT-SALMON reveals how the multi-million pound independent logistics firm also managed to expand its business in 2020 and talks about its growth plans for the future.

Last year brought many businesses to a standstill but not Northampton-based logistics specialists, Crisis Logistics.

Throughout three nationwide lockdowns the firm kept products belonging to some of the world’s biggest brands and organisations on the move, helped to deliver the UK’s stock of PPE, food and drink and supported some of our most vulnerable citizens through food drops.

For most businesses this would be more than enough to handle but at the height of the first national lockdown the firm also pressed ahead with its exciting plans to move from its old premises in Holcot and Wellingborough into a purpose-built 15,000 sq ft base in Hannington.

Managing director Edward Grant-Salmon said: “We’re very pleased that we pushed ahead with our decision to make the move last May. The move has been fantastic - particularly for Transport planner Alex Malai our drivers who for the first time are based at the same premises as our office staff. Our drivers are on the road most of The high level of service it offers was recognised when it the time so the fact they now come back to a base where they achieved the ISO9001 quality accreditation. can see other team members has been really good for morale – “We’re very proud of our ISO9001 quality accreditation although obviously any social interaction is currently in line with because we take quality very seriously,” said Edward. “The Government guidelines.” quality of the service we offer is down to our friendly and When the firm was looking for help to make its new base feel professional team – some of whom have been with us for 20 like home to its 350 drivers and around 50 office-based years. Everyone in our Operations Management Team, staff it immediately turned to fellow Chamber our Accounts Team and our drivers have all played members for support. a role in our success. There’s a real family T3 Signs produced Crisis Logistics’ new atmosphere here and our team means signage, Syncro Office Technology organised ‘WE’RE PROUD TO everything to us. their printers and GPW Consulting looked BE THE LOGISTICS “We’re proud to be the logistics partner for after their health and safety needs. some of the world’s best-known organisations PARTNER FOR SOME Edward said: “We’re delighted to be Silver and brands and to have the support of so many OF THE WORLD’S Chamber Business Partners and are always keen local businesses. The reason we have such a BEST-KNOWN to support the local economy as around 85% of thriving customer base is that everyone receives our business comes from Northamptonshire.

ORGANISATIONS’ the same high quality of service from us – “Looking back on last year, working with whether they use us once a year or 20 times a year. fellow Chamber members was just one of the “In addition to our top-quality service we also things of which we can be proud. We did a lot of have 350 vehicles, ranging from small vans to large work for the Government and indirectly for the NHS, articulated lorries. The combination of our high levels of which included delivering PPE to vaccine centres. It means a customer service and high volume of vehicles means we stand great deal to us to know that we supported our country’s apart from our competitors in the surrounding area. Our clients infrastructure during these difficult times. also appreciate that when they need us they can contact a team “During the pandemic we’ve loaned vehicles and drivers to in the county, rather than a call centre somewhere else. They Northamptonshire County Council and a number of local know where we are and we know our customers very well and charities to help deliver supplies to those in need around our what they require from us.” county. We’ve also donated food and toiletries to fellow So, what is next for this exciting firm? Well, it has recently Northamptonshire Chamber members, the Hope Centre, which taken on three new, young staff members and not content with supports homeless and disadvantaged adults. We were proud to its success in the logistics market the firm has got its eye on help the charity provide food parcels to families in need all over other sectors that it is keen to make inroads into.

Northamptonshire and to get them to where they needed to go.”

Edward explained: “We have an incredibly strong sales The future is also looking bright for the thriving firm which pipeline for our logistics business and we’re also looking at has seen its business grow dramatically during the last few other markets such as the storage market and the parcels years. Over the past six years, the company has grown market. We are actively looking to acquire a new warehouse significantly, with an underlying turnover of £16m, and it has with the capacity to store 15,000 pallets and the parcels market plans in place to enable it to grow to well in excess of £20m. is another area which we could easily grow alongside our Its continued success is driven by two things – firstly its ethos existing business.” that ‘Customer and Cash is King’ and secondly its commitment to providing a high-quality service to its customer base of Visit: www.crisislogistics.co.uk around 900 clients.

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FACTFILE: CRISIS LOGISTICS COMPANY BACKGROUND: Crisis Logistics was founded in Northampton over 27 years ago by Glenn Simons and his father. In later years Glenn joined forces with Charles Grant-Salmon. Both men continue to be involved with the business, with Charles acting as the company’s chairman and mentor, but they took the decision to bring in a younger team to take the firm forward.

It is now headed up by Charles’ son Edward, who is managing director, operations directors Eamon J Fayed and Roman Stajila and sales director Zealia Gharu.

COMPANY DESCRIPTION: Crisis is an independent, same day logistics specialist. It offers cost effective, efficient freight and courier solutions and is located in the Golden Triangle of Logistics. Its friendly team understands how important every consignment is to its reputation and is committed to offering reliability and a high-quality service.

JOINING NORTHAMPTONSHIRE CHAMBER: “We joined around a year ago to raise our local profile. We’re impressed with the social media side of the Chamber.

I’ve been in various meetings, where I haven’t met anyone or linked to them on social media, and yet they already know a lot about us from seeing us on the Chamber’s Linkedin accounts.

“Eighty-five per cent of our customer base is in Northampton, so we like to feel part of the community. When we moved sites, we made sure we gave as much business as we could to Chamber members.”

TALKING BUSINESS Charles Grant-Salmon, Edward Grant-Salmon, Eamon J Fayed and Roman Stajila

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TRAINING & EVENTS

TRAINING & EVENTS HEALTH & SAFETY MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS Date: Cost:

29 April (half-day) Members £140 + VAT Non-members £180 +VAT This half-day course is aimed at providing learners with the knowledge to identify suspected mental health conditions and the skills to start a conversation and be able to signpost the person towards professional help. Reducing the impact on individuals and the organisation, this course is suitable for staff at all levels in all sectors of industry and business where a company has identified the requirements or wish to improve their knowledge.

HEALTH & SAFETY FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS Date: Cost:

19 May (one-day) Members £229 + VAT Non-members £299 + VAT To provide delegates with the knowledge and understanding of general Health and Safety legislation including specific legislation relating to their business. A toolkit of information to take away and apply to their own business, for owners, directors and managers for any small business with specific responsibilities regarding to managing and coordinating health and safety, does not require prior knowledge or understanding.

MANAGEMENT AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT SUCCESSFUL SUPERVISORY MANAGEMENT Date: Cost:

13 & 14 April (two days) Members £458 + VAT Non-members £598 +VAT The transition from team member to team leader is one of the most challenging. These pragmatic workshops teach you how to increase work output, improve the quality of work and achieve greater flexibility in working. It is essential training for established and newly appointed supervisory staff and is vital training for anyone about to become a supervisor.

MANAGING YOUR WORKLOAD Date: Cost:

20 April (one-day) Members £229 + VAT Non-members £299 +VAT

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Take a day to reassess the purpose of your role and how to achieve the key tasks. Look at ways to manage the less productive tasks and then pick-up lots of tips and techniques to help make things run more smoothly. Take away a list of practical tasks and habit changes that you know will make a difference to the way you work.

LEADING TEAMS REMOTELY Date: Cost:

27 April (half-day) Members £140 + VAT Non-members £180 +VAT This course is designed for leaders who need to manage a team or group of individuals remotely and ensure business continuity and engagement. It will explore four key strategies and what kind of leaders succeed most often in remote environments. It will examine Communication Skills, Focus & Priorities, Building Trust and Relationships and Leadership Mindset.

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT Date: Cost:

6 May (half-day) Members £140 + VAT Non-members £180 +VAT Conflict management is a way of resolving conflict early by means of skilled communication and negotiation. The important question is how well to handle conflict situations well? Some people are too pushy and say too much, some are too passive and say nothing. The best way to resolve conflicts is to develop a rational approach to all people and all problems.

ILM ACCREDITED MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME Date:

11 May (nine scheduled modules) Cost: Members £2,009 + VAT Non-members £2,599 + VAT This comprehensive programme, delivered over nine modules, is essential for anyone who needs to increase their management skills, improve their leadership skills and boost their confidence in managing and developing others.

Follow us on Twitter @NorthantsCoC Follow #ChamberTraining for the latest updates Follow #ChamberEvents for the latest updates

IMPROVE YOUR SELF CONFIDENCE IN THE WORKPLACE Date: Cost:

11 May (half-day) Members £140 + VAT Non-members £180 +VAT This half day workshop will explain the elements that make up your self-confidence and how each of those can be improved effectively, rapidly and permanently. This will lead to improved effectiveness and engagement in the workplace and give greater resilience to deal with issues when things don’t go according to plan.

EFFECTIVE APPRAISAL SKILLS Date: Cost:

20 May (one-day) Members £229 + VAT Non-members £299 +VAT Appraisal is a key part of performance management. It offers a regular opportunity to provide people with constructive feedback about their performance and to set objectives both for achieving their task and for further developing their capability. The significant increase in home working due to Covid-19 and a change in work practices, has made it even more important to maintain contact and give people feedback.

GETTING THE MESSAGE RIGHT HELPING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS Date: Cost:

22 April (half-day) Members £140 + VAT Non-members £180 + VAT We all know how hard it can be to handle difficult people. With many organisation’s automating their processes and procedures, customers are even more likely to become difficult when they finally get through to a person. They take their frustration out on the poor staff member who answer the phone, email, the tweet, of the Facebook post. This course aids the challenge for staff to stay calm and deliver the level of service needed.

SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS WRITING IN THE 21ST CENTURY Date: Cost:

28 April (half-day) Members £140 + VAT Non-members £180 +VAT

This practical course aims to help people understand how they can make their written messages more effective, inclusive, and appropriate to the needs of their audience. We will focus on basic grammar as well as the subtle changes needed to remain professional when writing for different channels such as email, letter, text and web chat.

People are encouraged to bring examples of their written work to review during this half day session.

CUSTOMER SERVICE ON THE TELEPHONE Date: Cost:

12 May (one-day) Members £229 + VAT Non-members £299 + VAT A telephone conversation may be the only contact you have with your customers or incoming enquiries; it is therefore essential that you master the skills to keep the conversation flowing; obtain important information and ensure your customer - or potential customer - leaves the call with a good impression of your company.

SALES AND MARKETING THE ART OF NEGOTIATING - BASICS Date: Cost:

15 April (half-day) Members £140 + VAT Non-members £180 +VAT Training within a sales arena, negotiation arises at some point, and if you are unprepared or inexperienced, you will find yourself giving into your customer’s demands. This half day workshop helps you to develop your negotiation skills for whatever scenario you come across in day to day dealings and helps to improve more beneficial outcomes.

EFFECTIVE TELESALES SKILLS Date: Cost:

21 April (one-day) Members £229 + VAT Non-members £299 + VAT Whether you are meeting your clients face to face or running sales meetings via zoom it’s important to get an understanding of their issues/problems, effectively demonstrating how you can help them and ultimately close to win the business. How effective are yours? Are you winning business? If not, this is the workshop for you!

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TRAINING & EVENTS

TRAINING COURSES All Chamber training courses are currently delivered virtually in compliance with Covid-19 restrictions.

Call the Training Team for more details on 01604 490490 or email training@northants-chamber.co.uk

LINKEDIN FOR BUSINESS Date: Cost:

22 April (half-day) Members £140 + VAT Non-members £180 +VAT Utilise LinkedIn to grow your business by building deeper relationships with your current clients, get more referrals and connect with new potential clients.

Learn how to search effectively, use the reminder feature, are you publishing on LinkedIn and so much more. This is an interactive workshop to learn how to use LinkedIn as a marketing and business development tool.

SEO – BE SEEN ONLINE POST COVID

them and ultimately close to win the business. How effective are yours? Are you winning business? If not, this is the workshop for you!

GOOGLE ANALYTICS BASICS Date: Cost:

25 May (half-day) Members £140 + VAT Non-members £180 + VAT This workshop teaches you the essentials for monitoring your online marketing and improving your website, along with skills and analytics tips that you will be able to put into practice on a daily basis.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE POST BREXIT!

The CHAMBER EVENTS TEAM has worked hard to adapt and deliver a new format of events, increasing the range and availability of our schedule.

EVENT IN FOCUS Northamptonshire Chamber will host a special version of its popular virtual Speed Networking event to support charities close to Chamber members’ hearts.

For the first time the Chamber’s Speed Networking event, which regularly attracts around 60 businesses, will throw a spotlight on member charities.

The event will still provide businesses with the chance to network with a wide variety of organisations from across the county, but member charities who attend will also be invited to enter a draw to win the chance to do a quick pitch to all attendees about their work.

Northamptonshire Chamber membership manager Sunny Singh said: “Our Speed Networking events have proved massively popular since we launched them last July and we’re looking forward to welcoming lots of businesses to our next event.

“We hope by throwing the spotlight on our charity members at this event it will give them the opportunity to raise their profiles further and briefly share their amazing stories with us.”

The event will include three breakout rooms where attendees will be given the opportunity to network and give one-minute presentations on their businesses.

It will take place from 10am to 11.15am on Wednesday 20 May and admission is free.

5 May (half-day) Members £140 + VAT Non-members £180 +VAT By leveraging the fundamentals of search engine optimization (SEO), you can ensure that your business pops up in these all-important search results. This workshop is about mastering SEO fundamentals. How to make improvements that boost your website's visibility on search engines, attracting the right kind of traffic to the right pages on your site.

UNDERSTANDING EXPORT & EXPORT DOCUMENTATION, BCC ACCREDITED

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

CUSTOM PROCEDURES & INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTATION INCLUDING RULES OF ORIGIN, BCC ACCREDITED

MEET THE NEIGHBOURS WITH COVENTRY & WARWICKSHIRE CHAMBER

Date: Cost:

Date: Time:

Date: Cost:

Date: Cost:

13 May (one-day) Members £229 + VAT Non-members £299 + VAT This practical session will show how social media feeds into your company’s business and communications objectives, and how to gain the most mileage out of the marketing budget! This is ideal for all personnel looking to develop an understanding of how social media can be utilised to its full potential as an essential marketing tool.

EFFECTIVE FACE TO FACE MEETINGS Date: Cost:

18 May (one-day) Members £229 + VAT Non-members £299 + VAT Whether you are meeting your clients face to face or running sales meetings via zoom it’s important to get an understanding of their issues/problems, effectively demonstrating how you can help

Date: Cost:

11 May (one-day) Members £299 + VAT Non-members £369 + VAT Suitable for beginners & those working in an export environment that have never had any formal training. The course looks at the end-to-end export process providing an understanding of the export documentation requirements and shipping using freight forwarders and couriers.

20 May (one-day) Members £299 + VAT Non-members £369 + VAT This course is a follow on from Export and Export Documentation, suitable for those working in an export environment requiring further detailed export and customs procedures information or an experienced refresher course.

The course provides further export procedure details whilst also looking at the Customs Procedures and Compliance requirements for successful international trade.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Microsoft Excel at all levels is available. Call the Training Team on 01604 490490 for details.

Places are limited to one attendee per company and can be booked at www.northants-chamber.co.uk/events

FORTHCOMING EVENTS NEXT GENERATION SANDWICH SOCIAL Date: Time:

Tuesday 13 April 12pm-1pm

Thursday 15 April 10am–11.15am

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE CHAMBER SPEED NETWORKING Date: Time:

Wednesday 21 April 10am-11.15am

FRIDAY WIND-DOWN NETWORKING Date: Time:

Friday 30 April 3pm-4pm

NEXT GENERATION SANDWICH SOCIAL Date: Time:

Tuesday 11 May 12pm-1pm

NEXT GENERATION CPD: BEAT THE OFFICE OVERWHELM!

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE CHAMBER SPEED NETWORKING

Date: Time:

Date: Time:

Wednesday 28 April 3.30pm-4.30pm

Wednesday 20 May 10am-11.15am

YOUTUBE CHANNEL Look out for our new YouTube channel entitled ‘NN & MK Chambers of Commerce’ which allows our subscribers to watch back ChamberLive events so you never have to miss out!

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MEMBERZONE Latest news from NORTHAMPTONSHIRE CHAMBER MEMBERS including award wins, relocations, appointments, new contracts, member profiles, mergers, company expansion plans, sponsorship deals and business success stories

CHARITY OFFERS PATIENTS HOPE Award-winning cancer support charity The Lewis Foundation has used the latest lockdown to focus on planning for the future and supporting more patients than ever before.

Lorraine and Lee Lewis launched the charity in April 2016, and began sourcing, packaging and hand delivering free gifts and support packs, called ‘Bags of Hope’ to adult cancer patients at Northampton General Hospital, Three Shires and Kettering General Hospital every week. Each bag ‘OUR FOCUS contains items patients THIS YEAR IS ON might find difficult to buy themselves or SUSTAINABILITY simply cannot afford.

– MAKING SURE As the charity’s WE’RE HERE FOR fifth birthday YEARS TO COME’ hospitals in approaches, its Luton, Milton appealing for more Keynes, Nottingham support and help to fund and Northamptonshire. its gift bags.

Our focus this year is on Lorraine explained: “Since we sustainability – making sure we’re launched, we’ve distributed more here for years to come. “ than 63,000 gift packs to 10

Lorraine and Lee Lewis with Lee’s mum Janice (centre)

The charity is appealing to businesses to help them pay for and source all the products they need for their gift packs, which cost an average of £3.50 each. The packs range from arts and crafts to pamper packs, sweets, and

activities, with the contents ranging from colouring books and puzzles to letter writing sets, hand cream, books and magazines.

The Lewis Foundation is also seeking storage, with its own entrance. This space is for storing donations, gift packs, a marquee and to provide somewhere for volunteers to make up the packs. It is also seeking a contribution towards the running costs of its van which comes to about £550 a month.

In exchange for help, The Lewis Foundation will promote supporters through press releases, blogs, and social media campaigns and by using supporters’ logos on their website.

The charity has won many accolades including, in 2020, a British Citizen Award, ‘Rising Star’ at the East Midlands Charity Awards and Points of Light award, awarded by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Email: thelewisfoundation@outlook.com

MAKING THE MOST OF MEMBERSHIP Joining the Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce has given one businesswoman even more focus for 2021 - as the demand for Virtual Assistant services continues to skyrocket.

Alchemy Virtual Assistance (VA) executive hub manager ‘I CAN’T Sarah Damani has seen a record number of client enquiries from a variety of businesses, with numbers across the WAIT TO START wider Alchemy VA group having quadrupled since CovidWORKING MORE 19 hit.

Alchemy VA Hub manager Sarah Damani CLOSELY WITH Sarah’s thriving Wellingborough VA Hub has been with her team of virtual assistants LOTS OF bringing calm to the chaos during this extraordinary period by providing remote administration services, CHAMBER marketing and flexible PA support to entrepreneurs and “Joining the Chamber was always my plan. Chamber MEMBERS’ business owners countywide and beyond. members and Northamptonshire business owners Her dynamic team of handpicked, high calibre virtual assistants deserve the headspace to do the work they love during this are helping her manage the increasing workload, but she has big plans challenging time, especially as many are working harder than for 2021 – and making the most of her Chamber membership is at the top of ever to get back on track – but they don’t have to do it alone. the list.

“As VAs we have connections and expertise across a diverse range of “I set up my franchise with the award-winning Alchemy VA family just sectors. I can’t wait to start working more closely with lots of Chamber 14 months ago and with Covid-19 it’s been a whirlwind,” said Sarah, who members and helping even more businesses streamline and organise also renovated a tailor-made home office space last Autumn and left her their admin.” secure job as a business advisor to focus entirely on growing her Alchemy VA franchise.

Visit: www.alchemyva.co.uk

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MEMBER ZONE AWARD FOR 360 VISUAL MEDIA An innovative Buckinghamshire business, which provides visual content solutions to help boost their customer’s online presence, has won a prestigious award.

360 Visual Media scooped the joint gong from LARAC - the leading voice for local authorities on recycling, waste and resource management - for Best New Idea, alongside Buckinghamshire County Council.

The collaboration involved the production of Google Street View and bespoke virtual tours, mapping the local authority’s nine local Household Recycling Centres.

360 Visual Media further raised the online profile by optimising and managing the nine Google My Business Listings for each site, adding key elements such as live messaging and product information.

BCC saw 60% more searches for their sites between May and July this year compared to the previous year.

Visit: www.360visualmedia. co.uk/virtual-tourphotographer

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HOWES PERCIVAL INVESTS IN POST-COVID RECOVERY Leading law firm Howes Percival has announced a series of new investments in IT, its people and skills development, as it positions itself for the post Covid19 recovery.

The firm, which has reported a good pipeline of transactions during the pandemic and has expanded its Employment Law team, is keen to build on new ways of working in recent months and further improve its service for clients.

The investments include a new client relationship management platform and client feedback programme, as well as enhancements to the firm's learning framework and 12 senior promotions.

Howes Percival's chairman, Geraint Davies (pictured), commented: “We were in a strong position before the pandemic, having made a series of investments in our IT to enable more collaboration and different ways of ‘PROFESSIONAL working. As a result, we were able to SERVICES FIRMS adapt to remote working almost people - that's very much how I see CAN'T SIMPLY immediately.

Howes Percival.

REVERT TO HOW “The way we all work has changed, “The technology available now is relationships with clients have changed, IT USED TO BE incredible. There are elements of and professional services firms can't AFTER ALL THIS’ Artificial Intelligence (AI) in some of simply revert to how it used to be after all the tools we are using, and we are this. really excited by the opportunities this “We need to continue to embrace new ways presents. I think the image of law firms being of working and look for further improvements and quaintly old fashioned, is long gone. Or it certainly is at innovation. We also need to be able to develop as Howes Percival.” individuals and teams and bring new skills and ways of working smarter and closer with clients. The two things Visit: www.howespercival.com/careers together - fantastic technology and amazing, talented

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MEMBER PROFILE

NAME: Nishi Patel COMPANY: N-Accounting JOB TITLE: Managing director WHAT DOES YOUR ORGANISATION DO? We take care of tax for growing small businesses and help them get the most out of their accounting software.

HOW DID IT ALL START? I started out working in corporate finance but left as I wanted to do something that was more rewarding. I started N-Accounting to make a difference to people who needed our support.

WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR? Growing the business and building our team and client base.

WHAT KEEPS YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT? Apart from my two-year-old daughter wanting to climb into our bed, I often worry about the challenges that small businesses face these days and especially the Government’s shift away from supporting smaller local firms.

WHAT HAS SURPRISED YOU MOST IN YOUR JOB? The bond and friendships we’ve built with our customers and suppliers, it goes beyond anything I’ve experienced before.

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST RISK YOU’VE EVER TAKEN – AND DID IT WORK? Quitting my job to start N-Accounting. It’s worked out very well for me.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE STARTING OUT? Read The E-Myth and Secrets of the Millionaire Mind and then make a realistic plan.

WHICH BUSINESS PERSON DO YOU MOST ADMIRE? There’s quite a few, with Elon Musk definitely at the top of the list. It comes down to his audacity and the fact he risked everything even after he’d already made enough to have a comfortable life.

WHAT EXCITING PROJECTS IS YOUR ORGANISATION WORKING ON? We’ve got our tax planning software launch coming up, which will help business owners understand all of their upcoming tax bills for the next three years and how much to pay themselves.

WHAT MADE YOUR ORGANISATION JOIN NORTHAMPTONSHIRE CHAMBER? I wanted to be part of a community of growing businesses that believe in creating local jobs and opportunities for hardworking people. We’ve got a member of our team networking and contributing to the Chamber publications.

Visit: www.n-accounting.co.uk Call: 01604 330129 or 01908 382315 Email: info@n-accounting.co.uk

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SAM JOINS PRAQMATIQ SOLUTIONS

‘NOW MORE THAN EVER, BUSINESSES MUST EMBRACE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION’

PragmatiQ Solutions, a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Partner based in Milton Keynes, has appointed Sam Fogwill as its new commercial director.

Sam will be responsible for the development of new and existing client relationships, partnerships and the firm’s revenue growth strategy. He will also oversee a range of strategies to enhance its existing service offering and future recruitment initiatives, in line with the company vision.

Sam said: “Now more than ever, businesses must embrace digital transformation and new ways of staying connected to employees and customers if they’re to keep moving forwards. For the past few years PragmatiQ Solutions has been doing just that - helping companies solve key business challenges and gain competitive advantage with Bespoke CRM and Custom Database Solutions, delivered through market leading technology and service.

Sam Fogwill

“Their talented team has been on an incredible journey and I’m excited to be a part of this next chapter in PragmatiQ’s growth.”

Sam brings over 15 years of experience across sales and senior leadership roles within the technology sector.

Managing director Stuart Goldwater added: “Sam has a fantastic track record within the industry and will be instrumental in driving forward our growth strategy, both from a commercial and operational perspective.

“As well as this and just as importantly, there is a really strong match around our values and culture.

This has always been incredibly important to our business and now more so than ever, as we have entered a world where remote working is increasingly apparent.

“This appointment demonstrates the continued forward progression of the business and our ambitions for future growth. I have every confidence that Sam will be a success and look forward to seeing the impact his appointment will have on the business.”

Visit: www.pragmatiqsolutions.co.uk Email: info@pragmatiqsolutions.co.uk

The INBUSINESS APP provides you with a fast, free and convenient way to read the latest Chamber news on the go.

in business ‘THE BEST WAY TO KEEP UP TO DATE’ FOR CHAMBER NEWS STRAIGHT TO YOUR SMART PHONE OR TABLET, DOWNLOAD THE INBUSINESS APP

Providing a digital version of INBUSINESS across all platforms, including iPads and iPhones, and reaching a wider audience of readers.

Members can stay connected thanks to push notifications to alert readers when the latest edition is available and live links to all emails and websites.

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NEXT GENERATION PROFILE

MEMBER BENEFITS CHAMBER FX Exclusive foreign exchange member package offering free health check, low transfer fees and free account opening. Key benefits include bankbeating exchange rates.

NAME: Hannah Brady COMPANY: The Brady Creative Ltd JOB TITLE: Director

CHAMBER HEALTH PLAN Provided by Westfield Health, Chamber Primary Health Plan can give members cover from just £5.57 per employee, per month.

CHAMBER AA Chamber members can save up to 63% on roadside assistance for business vehicles in a scheme provided by The AA.

BACKGROUND – TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF My name is Hannah but most people call me Brady.

I’m from Coventry but have lived in Northampton for seven years now. When I’m not working I like to keep fit, get outside and spend as much time with friends and family as possible. I’m also president of Next Generation Chamber.

WHAT DOES YOUR JOB INVOLVE? The Brady Creative is a marketing agency. We provide three main services that are centred around marketing strategy, branding and social media management. My role in the business is focused on business development, networking and building strategies for clients to help them attract the right audiences.

WHY DID YOU JOIN NEXT GENERATION CHAMBER? I remember hearing about it through a local connection and thought it sounded like an environment where I could meet like-minded people and continue improving my skills as a professional woman.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE NEXT GENERATION CHAMBER EVENT? I think it’s got to be the CPD around teams, which was hosted by Mhairi Richardson from Tomrom Coaching. I’ve always been fascinated by team behaviours and organizational change and found

Mhairi’s talk really engaging. I soon after joined a book club that Mhairi wanted to start for young professionals and am proud to say that we have since become good friends. So, not only did I learn a lot that day, little did I know I’d met a new and very good friend.

WHICH NEXT GENERATION CHAMBER MEMBER DO YOU ADMIRE? Nina Gandy. She always brings a smile into the room and an energy that is infectious. I also have a lot of admiration for the work that Nina and the Cynthia Spencer Hospice team do.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU’VE LEARNED FROM NEXT GENERATION CHAMBER? I remember attending a CPD called ‘Courage and Conflict’, which was hosted by the wonderful Lucienne Shakir from Lucienne Coaching. I took a lot away from the session but one thing that has stuck with me since is that we all play a role in the conflicts that are happening in our life. We sometimes have to accept that, even if it’s difficult. Very often now, I ask myself in situations, ‘What role are you playing in this?’ and ‘What can you do about it?’

LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/marketingprofessionalnortha mpton/ www.thebradycreative.co.uk

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT START UP MEMBERSHIP Our new Start Up Membership package is aimed at businesses that have been trading for 12 months or less, as a cost-effective route to becoming full Chamber members.

This exciting new membership allows start-up businesses to tap into the wide range of Chamber profileraising benefits, as well as the opportunity to attend the diverse range of Chamber networking events, forums and seminars.

The start-up membership, sponsored by GPW Consulting, also includes £1m worth of legal expenses insurance and the wider Chamber protection benefits such as Chamber HR, Chamber Legal, Chamber Health & Safety and Chamber Tax.

NEXT GENERATION CHAMBER PATRONS Contact Sunny Singh for further information at sunny.singh@northantschamber.co.uk

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NEWMEMBERS Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce would like to welcome its NEW MEMBERS. Membership offers your business a whole host of support services and ways to connect and network with other companies. Contact the Chamber membership team on 01604 490490 Atec Autotechnic Ltd BRACKLEY 01280 704525 www.atecautotechnic.co.uk We import from Atec Germany design, manufacture and sell fluid systems (brake and hydraulic lines) to the motor industry

junior roles all the way through to the middle management Smart Research Innovation and Development (SRID) BIRMINGHAM www.srid.co.uk Research SOS Serum Skincare WINWICK 01788 510415 www.sosserum.co.uk Manufacturer and retail supplier of SOS Serum skincare products

Azets KETTERING 01536 514871 www.azets.co.uk Accounting and business advisors Cantor and Nissel Limited BRACKLEY 01280 702002 www.cantor-nissel.co.uk Contact lenses and artificial eye manufacturer Costa Coffee DUNSTABLE www.costa.co.uk Coffee shop Creative Protection Services Ltd DAVENTRY 0333 2241 777 www.creativeprotectionservices.com SIA licenced manned security guarding, events security, close protection operatives (CPO), reception and concierge, banksman, gateman, fire warden Flexspace NORTHAMPTON 0800 033 4444 www.flexspace.co.uk Choose Flexspace for flexible offices, workshops, industrial, warehouse and storage units across the UK Form Five Group Limited NORTHAMPTON 07926 167477 www.formfivegroup.co.uk Main contractor in construction but with additional services: Viability Studies, Project Planning, Design Management, Cost Management, Construction Konsileo (Trading) Ltd LONDON 07925 817624 www.konsileo.com Insurance brokerage specialising in office, professional indemnity, liability and commercial combined insurances 38 inbusiness APRIL/MAY 2021

Laureate International Tech and Academy (LITA) BIRMINGHAM www.lita.org.uk Education Maintech Recruitment Ltd RUGELEY 01543 212250 www.maintechrecruitment.co.uk We focus on engineering, manufacturing recruitment Meghen & Co Ltd OLNEY 07710 404323 www.meghen.co.uk Construction cost consultants and project managers MM In-House Lawyer MILTON KEYNES 07990 570896 www.mminhouselawyer.co.uk A cost effective and flexible solution for in-house legal advice to meet your business's requirements New Generation Courier Logistics Ltd BRACKLEY 0800 038 5664 www.ngclogistics.co.uk Same day delivery and courier Service, 2-Man home delivery and pallet storage

journey mapping, voice of customer and mystery shopping Quality Assessment and Qualification Framework (QAQF) BIRMINGHAM 07713 754382 www.qaqf.co.uk Educating individuals with interests of career expansion and key players with innovative skills matching the needs of their workplace, societies and needs Raffenday Ltd WELLINGBOROUGH 01933 673333 www.raffenday.com Manufacturers of electrical wiring harnesses and electronic subassemblies Red Edge Concepts Ltd MILTON KEYNES 01908 270771 www.rededgeconcepts.com Clothing wholesalers Russell's Vehicle Management Limited BRACKLEY 01280 850426 www.russellstransport.co.uk Experts in covered car transport

Northampton Mind NORTHAMPTON 01604 634310 www.northamptonmind.org.uk Mental health charity

S3UK Ltd NORTHAMPTON 020 3961 0055 www.GroupS3.com Industrial and commercial sourcing for the 'Asian cost advantage' with quality control and logistics management

Paradigm CX Ltd MILTON KEYNES 07400 660005 www.paradgmcx.com Help businesses focus on Customer Experience (CX). Performance improvement through strategy,

SBS Recruitment WELLINGBOROUGH 01933 812234 www.sbsrecruitment.co.uk At SBS Recruitment we work with companies and candidates looking for anything from general office

The Bruce Green Foundation WINWICK 01788 510415 www.thebrucegreenfoundation.org Giving opportunities to smile, supporting children with special needs and arranging annual trips and outings The Disability Resource Centre FLITWICK 01582 470900 www.drcbeds.org.uk The Disability Resource Centre is an independent organisation and a registered charity, that has disabled people at the centre of its decision making Veggi Wash WINWICK 01788 510415 www.veggiwash.co.uk Manufacture and retail of food processing aids and hygiene Whittlebury Bakery TOWCESTER 01327 831272 www.whittleburybakery.com Bakery Wots the Big Idea Limited CORBY 01536 560435 www.wotsthebigidea.com Creative digital/social media marketing, mobile app development, Search Engine Optimisation, email marketing and broadcasting, web design and build Youth Employment UK CIC KETTERING 01536 333390 www.youthemployment.org.uk Not-for-profit focussed on reducing the prevalence of unemployment amongst 16 to 24-year-olds. We offer free support to young people to explore careers

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